An Email to my friend

The following is an Email I replied to my supervisor in Phoenix Fire Department; he asked me what happened on the catastrophic typhoon in Taiwan.

 

Thank you for your concerns. The typhoon hit southern cities of Taiwan, so my fire department, in the northern part of the island, is fine.

 

This typhoon overwhelms the Taiwanese disaster response system. Like Hurricane Katrina, the rain and flood after this typhoon brought unexpected waters to us. According to the National Weather Bureau－the official weather forecast agency in Taiwan－in the past two days, we have more than 2,000 millimeter rains on the southern cities which was the same amount as the whole year of 2008! On one hand, local officials did not know how to respond the inter-jurisdictions disaster (Even they knew, they were incapable to deal with the flooding), on the other hand, the National Fire Administration (NFA), where we set up the central EOC, could not control the disaster. The flooding and mudslides destroyed communication systems on the rural areas; local officials and responders cannot send information to the central EOC, so the NFA cannot figure out how many people and resources needed on these areas. After the disaster, all news media sent reporters directly to victims and their families, and the first responders were directed to save these people on the media, and did not develop any strategy or plan on how to control this disaster. Until now, the third day after the typhoon, our government still cannot manage how many people were died, how many people were injured, how many people are in need, and even what area has been searched and which has not.

 

I recalled the official report of Hurricane Katrina I read in 2007. Our status now is close to the tragedy you faced in 2005. Our fire departments have built well-equipped EOCs in their administration buildings, and have had a well hierarchy in transforming disaster information. We focused too much on purchasing new and high technology apparatus, but not concerned on strength personnel’s abilities. Like I said to an American friend after we visited Taipei City EOC: We have the best hardware, but we do not have good software-our personnel; too less staff in Taiwanese fire departments have the sense on disaster management, and our government is too hesitate to send fire or disaster managers to foreigner counties and learn their experience on disaster management. It is sad, our disaster management still on the “table work”, we cannot execute our strategic plans on each rural jurisdiction, and we do not have a cabinet-level disaster management agency－like the FEMA in your county－to take the responsibility. After this disaster, some scholars and officials are encouraging the government to establish a Taiwanese FEMA, but I do not know after few weeks, do people still remember this suggestion?

 

What you can do now is visiting me in Taiwan, and gives me your advice face to face. J

 

Thank you for your concerns, my friend.

 

Ray